D&D (2024) We have Arcane, Divine, and Primal lists now. Why not Psionic?

[Yaarel]

As a long-time psionics fan, I enjoy psionics as its own thing, not just different magic. It's closer to super powers, and has an interesting relationship with magic, especially in how it tends to form a rock/paper/scissors relationship with magic and martial beings.

To be fair, I normally refer to super powers as "magic" as well.

 

[Vaalingrade]

As a long-time psionics fan, I enjoy psionics as its own thing, not just different magic. It's closer to super powers, and has an interesting relationship with magic, especially in how it tends to form a rock/paper/scissors relationship with magic and martial beings.

I remember a time when sorcery was power you were born with instead of being a wizard with less homework and the metamagic that was especially designed to be worthless to them in the edition they first appeared in. I used them to represent mutants and other 'natural' supers.

 

[Incenjucar]

To be fair, I normally refer to super powers as "magic" as well. Laser beam eyes, teleportation, and so on. Magic.

I have not yet found a way to counteract language drift and its removal of usefully distinct categories.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I have not yet found a way to counteract language drift and its removal of usefully distinct categories.

Inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide is alchemy.

 

[Yaarel]

I have not yet found a way to counteract language drift and its removal of usefully distinct categories.

In the English language, the word "magic" is and has always been a vague term. To refer to Superman as a "witch" would be a normal thing to do in many reallife contexts.

During Middle English, the term "magic" deriving from the biblical "magi" becoming a popular synonym for "fairie". The term "fairie" means magic, including the sense of a noun, "the activity of the fey", and adjective, "relating to the fey". Where fairie means a creature of "the realm of fey", it originally meant any magical creature, but came more and more to mean a specific species of magical creature, namely the fairy. Thus the use of the term "magic" helped disambiguate the intended meaning. So whether biblical dream seers or animistic nature beings, "magic" can mean anything.

It helps to think of the D&D sources as different theories of magic: Arcane, Divine, Primal, and Psionic. Psionic is one of these sources.

Any source can:
• Produce effects that are spells
• Produce effects that are magic but not spells
• Magically produce effects that in themselves are nonmagical

Any source can use any kind of mechanic, whether spell slots, spell points, or other class feature mechanic.

When I think of the Psionic source, I view the "soul" (including aura, self, and conscious mind) to be natural and nonmagical, but able to magically produce effects, because the nature of magic itself is responsive to the intentions of the mind. Consciousness is a mysterious thing and part of the weirder stuff of the multiverse. The Human species is part of this weirdness.

 

[Incenjucar]

In the English language, the word "magic" is and has always been a vague term. To refer to Superman as a "witch" would be a normal thing to do in many reallife contexts.

During Middle English, the term "magic" deriving from the biblical "magi" becoming a popular synonym for "fairie". The term "fairie" means magic, including the sense of a noun, "the activity of the fey", and adjective, "relating to the fey". Where fairie means a creature of "the realm of fey", it originally meant any magical creature, but came more and more to mean a specific species of magical creature, namely the fairy. Thus the use of the term "magic" helped disambiguate the intended meaning.

It helps to think of the D&D sources as different theories of magic: Arcane, Divine, Primal, and Psionic. Psionic is one of these sources.

Any source can:
• Produce effects that are spells
• Produce effects that are magic but not spells
• Magically produce effects that in themselves are nonmagical

Any source can use any kind of mechanic, whether spell slots, spell points, or other class feature mechanic.

When I think of the Psionic source, I view the "soul" (including aura, self, and conscious mind) to be natural and nonmagical, but able to magically produce effects, because the nature of magic itself is responsive to the intentions of the mind.

Superman is explicitly vulnerable to magic. Within DC, magic is a specific thing, like lightning is different from fire in D&D. Pre-WotC D&D understood psionics and magic as different categories of supernatural energy with different properties.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Superman is explicitly vulnerable to magic. Within DC, magic is a specific thing, like lightning is different from fire in D&D. Pre-WotC D&D understood psionics and magic as different categories of supernatural energy with different properties.

Also 3e and 4e. Psionics as Magic was a variant.

 

[Mephista]

That's kind of just quibbling over the definition of "magic." DC has it as a distinct force from technology and physical ability (the superman, batman and wonderwoman trinity). But then we get into sufficently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, and, really, the same thing goes for sufficently advanced alien biology is indistinguishable from advanced technology or magic.

 

[Yaarel]

Also 3e and 4e. Psionics as Magic was a variant.

To be fair, Martial is also a variant of Magic in 4e.

 

[Vaalingrade]

To be fair, Martial is also a variant of Magic in 4e.

It was absolutely not.